Page 368 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 6

Jarrad snarled at the man looming in the doorway, pushing Tabitha protectively behind him. He heard her exasperated sigh, but he was too busy sizing up the new threat. At around six foot three, the male was enormous, but he dressed deceptively casually. Under the boardshorts and loose fit t-shirt, there were well-defined muscles. Plus, the man had an air of danger about him, one that said his body was a weapon and he knew how to use it.

One predator recognised another and there was no way he was letting this one within arm’s length of his mate. He smelled… different… like Tabitha, only… smokier. Bushfires raging through eucalyptus forests. Dangerous.

“Witch,” he growled, preparing to leap, but a fierce grip on his arm stopped him in his tracks. Jarrad’s wolf rolled under the surface of his skin, desperate to be let out to protect their mate, but that same woman held him back. He looked at her with wolf eyes, only then noticing the subtle similarities between her and the stranger.

“Don’t,” she breathed, running a soothing hand up and down his arm. He shivered, his wolf luxuriating in the touch. “He may be an arsehole, but he doesn’t mean us harm.”

“I see you’ve snared yourself a wolf, Little Bit.”

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered.

The stranger had the gall to laugh. That had his wolf snarling again. How much would it hurt his mate if he maimed this one?

“Here I am, big brother to the rescue, and you seem to have found the biggest, baddest Alpha in the state to protect you.”

Too much.

Frustrated, he let the wolf settle. He couldn’t harm his mate’s brother.

“How many times do I have tell you, we’retwins, Ryan? Same age!”

“But I’m obviously wiser.” Ryan deliberately ignored the name comment. “Only you could have got yourself into this mess, then stuck around to see the Inquisition in person after they’d already killed your husband.”

Tabitha went pale, swaying a little on her feet. Jarrad wrapped an arm around her just as her brother leaped forward to do the same. He glared at the witch, who glared right back, then backed away. Remorseful.

Jarrad’s heart ached for Tabitha. She’d lost her husband to the Inquisition.

“Sorry, sis,” Ryan said, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “That was cruel. I haven’t slept much. The search algorithms picked up a hit within the parameters we set last night, on an email account we’ve been monitoring in relation to Nathan’s death. I guess it’s just a little fresh in my mind.”

As far as apologies went, that was a pathetic one. Tabitha nodded her acceptance anyway, so once again Jarrad was denied a chance to thrash him.

“We were just going to pick up Luna and head out to pack lands,” Tabitha said, though she hadn’t agreed to any of that previously. Still, his heart swelled in his chest.

“WHAT?” the blond idiot yelled.

The man had a death wish.

“You’re going to get in my goddamn car and we’re going to the helipad for a direct flight to Carnarben.”

“No, we’re not.”

Only the calm authority in Tabitha’s voice had Jarrad’s wolf leashed.

“You’re welcome to help us plan our trap here, or you can hop on your stupid helicopter and go back to where you came from!”

Maybe not quite as calm as she had started. Still, she was in charge. He didn’t feel the need to step in now when she was obviously ready to give them a chance and wasn’t in any danger. She would have left with her brother otherwise.

The man paced furiously, muttering to himself. That burnt scent surged and fell. It didn’t take long to put two and two together. His mate’s brother was her opposite, a fire witch. That would be handy. Finally, Ryan stopped, face screwed up in distaste.

“You win. I’ll follow you.” The words were dragged out of him, but he said them.

Tabitha gave him a smug grin, picked up her emergency bags and strolled outside.

Jarrad quickly caught up with her. “So, that’s a yes to staying with me and trusting me to keep you safe?” He knew his grin was smug, but he couldn’t help it.

She raised an eyebrow, then gave in to a smile of her own. “I was going to say yes before that big idiot showed up.”

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